June 13, 2017

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Apple’s iPhone is the most popular smartphone in the world, and we want you to get the most out of yours. From dating apps to QR scanners, your phone is capable of nearly anything these days, and some apps just rise above the rest. We’ve recently cut our list of the best iPhone apps in half, bringing you the true cream of the crop: 100 apps, sorted by category, that will make your life simpler, easier, and more enjoyable. If you’re looking for games, check out our roundup here.

iOS essentials, messaging, and dating

Google

Want to find nearby restaurants or track a package using your voice? Well, the official Google app allows users to have full-fledged conversations with their phone. It’s just like Siri, except it connects with your Google accounts.

iTunes

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is an upgrade from the default browser, Safari. The app can sync your history and bookmarks across devices and includes features like search bar autocomplete and unlimited tab functionality.

iTunes

Facebook

Facebook is the social network. If you want to make your phone Facebook official, you should download this app. A must-have for nearly anyone, as many other social apps, connect through Facebook to acquire vital information.

iTunes

YouTube

YouTube used to come with your phone, but with iOS 6, Apple removed it. Luckily, Google brought it back. If you need to know what YouTube is, please meet us back in 2005. Now featuring Youtube Red, a monthly subscription service that allows downloaded playlists to be used offline and playback with no ads.

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Wikipedia Mobile

Wikipedia finally made a revised version of its iOS app, which aims to give you better recommendations for content that you’re interested in and match you with articles that pertain to your interests. The app now offers users an “Explore” feed with a number of the most popular articles, as well as a featured article and picture of the day.

iTunes

Instagram

It may be owned by Facebook, but Instagram is still the best social network for sharing pictures and ruining them with silly filters. We say ruining, but we put X Pro II on just about everything.

iTunes

Communication and messaging

Signal

Signal, from Open Whisper Systems, is one of the most highly recommended apps when it comes to chat encryption and security. This app has military grade encryption for all your messaging and voice calls. It supports sending texts, voice calls, group messages, and sending media attachments. Edward Snowden famously recommended this app, which makes it a top pick for people who are looking for security, first and foremost.

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Messenger

Facebook now offers its messenger service as a standalone app, enabling you to chat with your Facebook friends and anyone in your contacts with the app installed, without having to be signed into Facebook. We recommend this app for the sheer volume of messaging that happens via Facebook, though it’s a little frustrating that the Facebook app itself no longer includes messaging functionality.

iTunes

Skype

The de facto VOIP service that is owned by Microsoft, Skype is used by more than 250 million users worldwide. Offering free international voice and video calls is a tough deal to pass up.

iTunes

Hangouts

It’s also a standard texting and messaging app, but Hangouts was merged with Google Voice. It now gives you the ability to make video and voice calls, giving you a nifty all-in-one solution.

iTunes

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a great choice for anyone that doesn’t have unlimited texting and spends a lot of time connected to Wi-Fi, letting you send and receive messages, pictures, audio notes, and video messages.

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Slack

Slack is the premier messaging app for teams and companies, allowing for clear communication throughout every level of your organization. Slack instantly syncs across all devices and is compatible with dozens of other apps and services (like Dropbox) to make your job simpler and easier.

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Dating

Tinder

Tinder is a terrible app if you want to date. It only shows you someone’s picture and age. But it’s super fun to swipe people away as Hot or Not. If someone thinks you’re hot, you can chat.

iTunes

Bumble

Bumble flips the web dating paradigm on its head by forcing women to make the first move. Match with someone (the app functions pretty much exactly like Tinder) and the woman has 24 hours to send a message or the match expires.

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Hinge

If you would prefer to do your dating with people your friends can vouch for, check out Hinge. It hooks you up with the best matches in your extended network, connecting you with friends of friends for more familiar dates.

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OKCupid

OKCupid gets the job done. It’s not great, but it’s free. It will give you matches based on how you answer questions. You can browse profiles and chat with those you’re interested in dating.

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eHarmony

If you’re serious about finding a relationship, we recommend eHarmony. The subscription service can be pricey for some, but it has the most robust feature set. There’s a separate app for LGBT called Compatible Partners.